Thanks to the success of the Feed the Turtle tailgate recycling collection program, UMD Athletics was recently recognized for their efforts by The Natural Resources Defense Council’s report, “College Game Changers: How Campus Sport is Going Green.”

Participating in the Game Day Challenge allows both Athletics and Facilities Management to gauge how well UMD is doing at games compared to other schools, while also showcasing the efforts of the Feed the Turtle program. This is an important step for the school to take in further educating fans about sustainability at home football games.

The Feed the Turtle program was launched in 2008 and has increased its operations and outreach each year. With the pending move to the Big Ten next year and with the potential for a larger audience at home games, it will be even more important for fans to know how to properly sort their waste on game day.

The Game Day Challenge also gives Facilities Management an opportunity to track how well fans are doing and what can be done differently to educate and get the word out about recycling and composting.